Yielding pressure-chamber partitions



Dec. 6, 1966 J. RZEPECKI YIELDING PRESSURE-CHAMBER PARTITIONS FiledMarch 25, 1964 JOSEF RZEPECKI w/ (M as/ ATTORNEYS United States Patent 03,28%,551 YlELDlNG PRESSURE-CHAMBER PARTITIUNS Josef Rzepeclri,Allschwil, Switzerland, assignor to Maschinenfabrik linrclrhardt A.G.,Basel, Switzerland Filed Mar. 25, 1964, Ser. No. 354,697 Claimspriority, applicatiogzsjvgtzerland, Mar. 29, 1963,

2 Claims. (Cl. 92-99) Yielding wall elements for separating two chambersof equal pressure are used for many technical purposes, for example inmeasuring or regulating devices and in membrane pumps and membranecompressors. By virtue of the pliability of the partition substantiallyequal pressures are attained in both chambers. The pressure differencebetween the two chambers can correspond at the most to the slightresistance offered by the yielding material to the deformation thereof.

It is known to make such yielding partitions of soft materials of lowresistance to deformation, such as leather, rubber or plastic havingrubberlike properties. The use of such materials however, is impossiblein the case of high pressures, as the partition of yielding material hasto be clamped fast between two sealing flanges. The specific compressiveloads at the point of grip may easily become greater than thecompressive strength of the soft materials used, especially in the caseof high operating pressures.

It is further known to by-pass this difficulty by choosing for themanufacture of the yielding partition a material of sufliciently highstrength which is capable of withstanding the clamping or restrainingforces, for example a thin plate of steel or another suitable metal.Such materials, however, have a very high modulus of elasticity. Thepermissible sag or deflection of the elastic partition thus may be verysmall in order to prevent the stresses in the wall from becoming toolarge and the risk of breakage. When using a metallic partition,therefore, the outside diameter has to be made substantially greaterthan when using a partition of a soft material. When operating underhigh pressures, however, this great diameter may give origin tosubstantial forces which have to be accommodated by the flangeconnection.

In the use of partitions made of soft yielding material and also ofpartitions made of steel or metal, it is moreover very difficult toprotect the yielding partition against overloading and destruction inthe case where the pressure acts in only one chamber, the other chamberbeing free of pressure. Especially in the case of very high operatingpressures, there is the risk that the unidirectional high pressurepunches through the yielding wall at the point of the feed bore.

The present invention aims to provide a yielding partition which isprotected against overloading by the exterior clamping or restrainingforces as well as against overloading by unidirectional pressure, andwhich furthermore permits of a relatively great deflection so that theoutside diameter may be made extremely small.

To such end, the present invention proposes the use of a clamped-in orrestrained partition between two chambers of equal pressures, whichcomprises an exterior holder ring made of a high-strength material suchas steel, and an interior stopper also made of a highstrength materialsuch as steel, as well as an intermediate ring of elastic material suchas rubber, which is tightly connected to said two parts. By virtue ofsuch construction of the partition, overloading and the detrimentalconsequences thereof are avoided.

The invention further proposes to so dimension the interior stopper thatthe feed bore and the radial grooves 3,289,551 Patented Dec. 6, 1966 forfeeding and distributing the pressure agent are completely shrouded.

In accordance with a further proposal of the invention, the intermediatering when unloaded is of a shape corresponding to the maximumdeflection.

One form of the invention is shown, by way of example, in the drawing,in which:

FIG. 1 shows in section a yielding partition clamped or restrainedbetween two flanges, and

FIG. 2 a bottom plan view of a flange.

Thepartition shown in FIG. 1 as clamped with its peripheral portionbetween two flange bodies, comprises three parts: an exterior holderring 1, an interrior stopper 2 and an intermediate annular member 3.

The exterior holder ring 1 is made of steel or another high-strengthmaterial that is capable to accommodate the sealing forces exerted bythe compression of the flanges 4. The interior stopper 2 also is made ofsteel or another suitable high-strength material and, therefore, mayreadily be made so strong that it will not be pressed into the feed bore5 even when the pressure acts on one side only. The diameter of stopper2 is such that also the radial grooves 6 are shrouded that serve forbetter distribution of the pressure underneath and above the elasticwall.

The intermediate ring 3 is made of an elastic and very yielding materialsuch as rubber or a rubberlike material that is capable to withstandgreat deformations brought about by relatively small forces. Theintermediate ring 3 is sealed or tightly connected to the exterior ring1 and to the interior stopper 2. Such tight connection may be effectedeither by pressing-in or bonding or vulcanizing, or in some othersuitable way and manner.

In FIG. 2 is shown the arrangement of the radial pressure feed grooves6. It may be seen that the elastic ring 3 in the device according to theinvention is perfectly protected against any kind of overloading, evenin the case of unilateral pressure. In the latter case, the ring 3 willbe pressed against the bearing face of flange 4, which face is oftapered or conical cross-section, and thereby protected from furtherdeformation. Since the feed bore 5 and the grooves 6 are covered by theinterior stopper 2, the intermediate ring 3 cannot be damaged.

The intermediate ring 3 suitably is given such a form that it willassume without any load the form shown in FIG. 1 which corresponds tothe maximum deformation possible. The consequence is that when theyielding wall is deflected, only compressive and shearing stresses willarise, but no tensile stresses, whereby is facilitated the production ofa tight connection between the elastic intermediate ring 3, the exteriorholder ring 1 and the interior stopper 2. Furthermore, the span of lifeof ring 3 will be extended by the absence of tensile stresses.

What is claimed is:

1. A restrained yielding partition disposed between two flanges formingtwo chambers of equal pressure comprising an exterior holder ring madeof metallic resistant material clamped between said flanges, an interiorstopper made of metallic resistant material located within said chambersand spaced from said ring, an intermediate ring of an elastic materialtightly connected to said exterior ring and said stopper to form a fluidtight partition between said chambers, a feed bore in each of saidflanges opening into its associated chamber opposite said stopper, andsaid intermediate ring in the unloaded state abutting one of saidflanges and having a form corresponding to maximum deflection so thatsaid intermediate ring upon being moved into the plane of said exteriorring is tightly compressed against said exterior ring and said interiorstopper.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,986,764 1/1935Rhodes 6054.5 2,335,276 11/1943 Heintz 9299 French 92103 Hadley 9299Devorss 9299 Simmons 92103 MARTIN P. SCHWADRON, Primary Examiner. SAMUELLEVINE, Examiner.

H. G. SHIELDS, Assistant Examiner.

1. A RESTRAINED YIELDING PARTITION DISPOSED BETWEEN TWO FLANGES FORMINGTWO CHAMBERS OF EQUAL PRESSURE COMPRISING AN EXTERIOR HOLDER RING MADEOF METALLIC RESISTANT MATERIAL CLAMPED BETWEEN SAID FLANGES, AN INTERIORSTOPPER MADE OF METALLIC RESISTANT MATERIAL LOCATED WITHIN SAID CHAMBERSAND SPACED FROM SAID RING, AN INTERMEDIATE RING OF AN ELASTIC MATERIALTIGHTLY CONNECTED TO SAID EXTERIOR RING AND SAID STOPPER TO FORM A FLUIDTIGHT PARTITION BETWEEN SAID CHAMBERS, A FEED BORE IN EACH OF SAIDFLANGES OPENING INTO ITS ASSOCIATED CHAMBER OPPOSITE SAID STOPPER, ANDSAID INTERMEDIATE RING IN THE UNLOADED STATE ABUTTING ONE OF SAIDFLANGES AND HAVING A FORM CORRESPONDING TO MAXIMUM DEFLECTION SO THATSAID INTERMEDIATE RING UPON BEING MOVED INTO THE PLANE OF SAID EXTERIORRING IS TIGHTLY COMPRESSED AGAINST SAID EXTERIOR RING AND SAID INTERIORSTOPPER.